Radial flow inverted type steam turbine

ABSTRACT

A radial flow steam turbine, with combined impulse and reaction stages on the one rotor. Each set of blades of the turbine has multiple impulse stages with the steam flowing radially inward towards the rotor axis, and leading to multiple reaction stages with the steam flowing radially outward and away from the rotor axis. The impulse stage passages have a tapered shape to accommodate the increase in the volume of steam through the concentric stages of blades with the blades being progressively larger in each circular stage. The reaction passage is of uniform cross-sectional area as the increase in velocity of steam compensates for the increase in steam volume through the passage.

United States Patent Gabrylt 1 1 July 31, 1973 [54] RADIAL FLOW INVERTED TYPE STEAM 2,021,078 11/1935 Miller 415/103 TURBINE Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar [75] Inventor. Stanislaw Gabryk, Natal,

Republic of South Africa Attorney-Howard I. Podell [73] Assignee: Raymond Lee Organization, Inc.,

New York, N.Y. a part interest [57] ABSTRACT Filed y 16 1972 A radial flow steam turbine, with combined impulse Appl. No.: 242,265

and reaction stages on the one rotor. Each set of blades of the turbine has multiple impulse stages with the steam flowing radially inward towards the rotor axis, and leading to multiple reaction stages with the steam flowing radially outward and away from the rotor axis. The impulse stage passages have a tapered shape to accommodate the increase in the volume of steam through the concentric stages of blades with the blades being progressively larger in each circular stage. The reaction passage is of uniform cross-sectional area as the increase in velocity of steam compensates for the increase in steam volume through the passage.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JUL3 1 3. 749.510

SHEET 2 BF 2 QI v RADIAL FLOW INVERTED TYPE STEAM TURBINE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to convert high pressure steam to rotary kinetic energy by means of a turbine of simple construction, in which side thrust is absent by virtue of the radial construction, and in which shaft bearings are shielded from the primary heat of the steam.

The radial flow turbine of my invention eliminates the conventional requirement for steam glands, necessitating only a mechanical gland to prevent air leakage.

A further advantage of this invention is the improved efficiency of the impulse blades by virtue of the radial staging.

Each set of turbine blades consists of a set of impulse stages followed by a set of reaction stages.

Steam is led through the intial set of impulse blades mounted in the periphery of the rotor to additional concentric rings of impulse blades mounted in the same radial plane further towards the axis of the rotor. The steam is then led through a reaction set of blades parallel to the said impulse set of blades, and led to further concentric rings of reaction blades mounted outwards from the axis of the rotor to the discharge ports.

A complete turbine may have several sets of the above described impulse and reaction stages.

The blades and passages of the impluse stages increase in size in each concentric ring of blades, inversely proportional to the radius of the ring of blades, to accommodate the increase in volume of steam flowing through the impulse stage. The blades and passages of the reaction stage of blades are of uniform size in the different concentric rings by virtue of the compensation of the increase in steam velocity with steam volume in the reaction stages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the inveniion taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view and partial cross-section of the turbine of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front view and partial cross-section of the turbine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates and end view of the turbine 10, with stationary frame 50 aligned by assembly bars 26 and clamped together by bolts 21. The rotor 23 is fastened to paired discs of impulse stages 20 and discs reaction stages 30 shown on FIG. 2.

A typical impulse set of stages is shown in FIG. 1 along line 8-8. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 incoming steam enters at Inlet port 11 and flows through passages 12 to the outermost concentric ring of blades 41 which are fixed to stationary disc segments of outer housing 16 and 17. The steam is deflected by blades 41 to impact on the concentric ring of blades 45 attached to rotor disc 20. The steam continues flowing radially towards the rotor axis R-R flowing alternately past rings of concentric blades 42, 43, and 44 fastened to the stationary discs of the outer housing 16, and through concentric rings of blades 46, 47 and 48 fastened to rotor disc 20.

Flow of the steam continues through channel 40 to the adjoining set of reaction blades shown in the crosssection of FIG. 1 along line AA.

In the reaction stages, the steam flows radially away from rotor axis R-R, alternately through rings of blades 32, 29 and 28 attached to the rotor 23 by rotor disc 30 and fixed rings of blades 36, 35 and 33 attached to the outer frame by disc segment 15.

Exhaust steam leaves the turbine from exhaust passage 14 at exhaust ports 49.

Additional sets of impulse and reaction stages may be mounted in parallel fashion. The preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 consists of two sets of impulse stages and two sets of reaction stages.

The blades of both rotary and stationary rings are fastened to their respective discs by means of rivets 27 which are integral with the blades.

Glands 25 are mounted on the ends of rotor shaft 23.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A radial flow steam turbine which is powered by steam flowing radially through paired discs of impulse stage blades mounted in concentric order, and discs of reaction stage blades mounted in concentric order, with the steam initially flowing radially towards the rotor axis through the impulse stage blades, and then flowing radially away from the rotor axis through the reaction stage blades.

2. The combination as described in claim 1 in which each set of the impulse stage blades is mounted in concentric rings along the same radial plane, with alternating rings of blades fastened to the stationary frame and alternating rings of blades fastened to the rotor assembly.

3. The combination as described in claim 2 in which the impulse stage blades are of the same size in any concentric ring of blades, but said impulse blades increase in size inversely proportionately to the radius of the concentric ring. I

4. The combination as described in claim 3 in which the reaction stage blades are of the same size in all concentric rings of reaction blades.

5. The combination as described in claim 4 in which one disc of impulse stage blades consists of four concentric rings of rotating blades and four concentric rings of stationary blades.

6. The combination as described in claim 5 in which one disc of reaction stage blades consists of three sets of concentric rings of rotating blades and three sets of concentric rings of stationary blades.

7. The combination as described in claim 6 in which two discs of impulse stage blades adjoin two sets of reaction stage blades. 

1. A radial flow steam turbine which is powered by steam flowing radially through paired discs of impulse stage blades mounted in concentric order, and discs of reaction stage blades mounted in concentric order, with the steam initially flowing radially towards the rotor axis through the impulse stage blades, and then flowing radially away from the rotor axis through the reaction stage blades.
 2. The combination as described in claim 1 in which each set of the impulse stage blades is mounted in concentric rings along the same radial plane, with alternating rings of blades fastened to the stationary frame and alternating rings of blades fastened to the rotor assembly.
 3. The combination as described in claim 2 in which the impulse stage blades are of the same size in any concentric ring of blades, but said impulse blades increase in size inversely proportionately to the radius of the concentric ring.
 4. The combination as described in claim 3 in which the reaction stage blades are of the same size in all concentric rings of reaction blades.
 5. The combination as described in claim 4 in which one disc of impulse stage blades consists of four concentric rings of rotating blades and four concentric rings of stationary blades.
 6. The combination as described in claim 5 in which one disc of reaction stage blades consists of three sets of concentric rings of rotating blades and three sets of concentric rings of stationary blades.
 7. The combination as described in claim 6 in which two discs of impulse stage blades adjoin two sets of reaction stage blades. 